The Free Methodist Church in Campo Grande, Brazil, ministers in a poor neighborhood rife with drug trafficking. Two hundred children are involved in weekly discipleship groups that meet mainly in homes, with a few taking place at the church. ICCM sponsorship of children and occasional gifts from the Extend Your Table Fund allow the church to offer food at these gatherings.

Two afternoons each week on school days, the church offers a tutoring program in reading and math, spiritual instruction and celebration, and a meal. One central goal is to help children stay out of drug trafficking through accountability in their discipleship groups and the half-day program. Entry into the drug trade almost always results eventually in prison or death. Most of the children have often experienced hunger. Improved nutrition helps the children say no to the offer of a few dollars to make a drug delivery. School closures due to COVID left many children unable to read by the time they normally would have learned. Several children have now learned to read through the half-day program.

The afterschool programming at Campo Grande was modeled on that of Todo Mundo Feliz (TMF) in Santo André, a suburb of São Paulo. The TMF nursery and preschool serves 60 children during the day. Afterschool and before-school programming supports an additional 40 teens, offering lessons in music, foreign language, information technology and more. At TMF, caring well for children includes caring for their families. Staff members walk the neighborhood periodically, talking with parents and distributing food to make personal connections.

Praise the Lord for these ministries to children in Brazil!